Benetton caused quite stink (again) earlier this year when they used genuine death row inmates in an advertising campaign. They said they wanted to put a human face on these inmates, hoping, no doubt to provoke people to rethink the death penalty. Well, four Missouri families whose relatives were killed by the inmates were outraged by the campaign. Benetton eventually apologized and donated $US50,000 to the Missouri Crime Victims' Compensation Fund. Part of me has always admired Benetton for their guerilla tactics (especially their colorful, subversive billboards), though I understand they pressed their luck a little here.

Anyway, I'm reminded of this because I stumbled across a site, Prisoners of Age, which features an usual exhibit: photographs by Rod Levine of aged and infirm inmates at perhaps the world's most famous prison. Some of these post-retirement age men are still in jail for crimes like drug trafficking. Others, well, maybe they needn't start hunting for an apartment just yet.